Page 2 - Spring 2018 Newsletter Final Digital

Cancer Vaccine Trial | continued from Page 1 ONE CURE IN ACTION

“Stephen and I have been collaborating for more than a decade Any owner whose dog develops cancer during the trial, on
on a number of projects, mostly involving new cancer diagnostics,” either the test or control, will be given a credit toward medical ANCER IS CANCER, WHETHER YOU HAVE activity against osteosarcoma, but does have Dow and Regan proposed a study using losartan
in pediatric bone cancer patients with tumor
two legs or four. With that principle in mind,
immune-modulatory effects in dogs. Results
said Thamm. “When he brought up the idea of a universal cancer expenses. Because of the size and scope of the trial, three CFlint Animal Cancer Center scientists, Drs. from 16 dogs treated in this trial have been metastases who have failed to respond to
preventative vaccine, I was appropriately skeptical. However, the veterinary schools will enroll patients; Colorado State University’s Steve Dow and Dan Regan, are collaborating very encouraging, with 50 percent of the dogs conventional treatment. Working with pediatric
data he has shared has convinced me that his approach, while not Flint Animal Cancer Center, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with pediatric oncologists at Children’s Hospital responding and almost 30 percent experiencing oncologists, Drs. Lia Gore, Carrye Cost, Margaret
guaranteed to work, is definitely worth testing.” and the University of California, Davis. Colorado to study a promising new therapy to treat actual tumor regression. Importantly, adverse Macy, and Kelly Faulk, the combined team is now
Cancer is the leading cause of death in adult pet dogs, and If successful, this trial would provide strong support for the
many of their cancers are very similar to those of their human concept of employing FSP vaccines to prevent cancer in its earliest metastatic bone cancer in both dogs and kids. events have been few and typical of those designing a clinical trial similar to the canine
expected for Palladia treatment.
trial using high-dose losartan and sunitinib for
counterparts. The dog immune system responds to tumors and stages, possibly leading to a canine preventive cancer vaccine, THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE STUDY pediatric bone cancer patients. The team hopes to
vaccines very similarly to humans. But dog years and the course and could eventually justify human clinical trials. Tumor progression depends on help from ONE CANCER. ONE CURE. begin enrollment later this year.
of tumor development are much shorter compared to the average “We are fairly confident that if the vaccine works in dogs, it the immune system, specifically from a type “These studies build on the important
human lifespan. The team thinks it can evaluate the effectiveness of could work in people,” said Shen. of white blood cell known as an inflammatory The striking similarities between connections between the human and veterinary
the vaccine in five years or less, versus the 15 to 20 years it would The cancer prevention vaccine is one of the many ways monocyte. These monocytes, which eventually osteosarcoma in dogs and humans make dogs sarcoma fields first established by Drs. Ross
take in a human trial. The vaccine they are studying in pet dogs scientists, veterinarians, and medical doctors are working together differentiate into specialized cells called the best animal system to study human bone Wilkins and Steve Withrow, and provide real-
will have a composition very similar to the one they would test in to fight cancer in both pets and people. For more information about macrophages, help promote survival of cancer. Each year, more than 8,000 dogs are world evidence of the impact of the One Cure
people. the clinical trial, please see below or visit www.vaccs.org. metastatic tumors, in part, by stimulating new diagnosed with osteosarcoma. While bone concept,” said Dow.
“This is a really critical study in the evaluation of this vaccine,” said cancer is more common in dogs, according to
One Cure’s goal is to raise awareness and
Thamm. “While effectiveness has been shown in mouse models, blood vessel growth. Consequently, treatments the Children’s Hospital Colorado, osteosarcoma funding for the Flint Animal Cancer Center’s
that can block monocyte and macrophage
moving immediately to a very large, expensive, and time-consuming activity can help prevent the spread of cancer to usually occurs in school-age children and clinical trials program and other comparative
human study is a leap that is hard to justify. Testing this approach in other parts of the body and treat existing tumors adolescents and is the sixth most-common type oncology research to find better treatment
dogs will serve as the perfect bridge to human studies. Additionally, if by removing immune suppression and blocking of cancer in this age group. The five-year survival options for both pets and people with cancer.
successful, we will have a new tool for cancer prevention in our pets, new blood vessel growth. rate for human patients with bone cancer that Currently, both Children’s Hospital and Flint
potentially decades before it is available for humans.” However, the Food and Drug Administration has spread only to their lungs is 40 percent Animal Cancer Center are seeking funds to
The clinical trial, called the Vaccine Against Canine Cancer Study, (www.cancer.org).
is scheduled to begin enrolling patients in Summer 2018. It will be has yet to approve a drug that can be used to The encouraging results of the losartan study support the upcoming pediatric trial. The Shipley
block monocyte migration for humans or animals.
Foundation in Boston, a longtime supporter of
the largest interventional canine clinical trial ever conducted. Under To overcome this barrier, Regan and Dow set in dogs and the discouraging survival rates in CSU’s cancer center, funded much of the initial
Thamm’s direction, 800 healthy, middle-aged pet dogs will be out to find FDA-approved drugs that blocked children with advanced osteosarcoma, prompted laboratory study and canine clinical trial. For more
enrolled, continuing to live their normal lives at home and receiving monocyte migration as an unintended drug Regan and Dow to reach out to oncologists at information about the trial or to learn how you
biannual exams with a complete clinical pathology workup for effect. The goal would be to repurpose these Children’s Hospital Colorado. Both entities are can contribute your support, please contact Dr.
five years. Participating pets will be randomized to receive either drugs as cancer immunotherapies. After a long members of the University of Colorado’s Cancer Christine Hardy, christine.hardy@colostate.edu.
the cancer vaccine or a placebo. Dogs receiving the placebo are search, they discovered a class of drugs known as Center consortium and readily share information.
expected to develop cancer at normal rates. Left to right: Penny Gwynne, Dr. Luhui Shen, Dr. Stephen Johnston of the
Biodesign Center for Innovations in Medicine at Arizona State University angiotensin receptor blockers that demonstrated
developed the cancer prevention vaccine. strong monocyte migration-inhibiting activity in
multiple species (mouse, dog, human).
Regan and Dow selected one of the drugs
Vaccine Against Canine Cancer Study Eligibility in this class (losartan) to evaluate the effect in
mouse tumor studies. These studies showed
strong activity using losartan alone in helping
The goal of the VACCS trial is to evaluate a new vaccine Weigh at least 12 pounds (5 kg) control the growth of metastatic tumors.
strategy for the prevention of canine cancer. Healthy dogs of No history of previous cancer When combined with a second drug, sunitinib,
certain breeds, 6 years or older, will be randomized to receive a targeted cancer drug that also has immune-
either the cancer prevention vaccine or a placebo vaccine. No significant illness that could result in a life span of modulatory properties, studies in mice showed
even greater activity.
less than five years
To qualify for the VACCS trial, dogs must meet the following FROM LAB TO PATIENT
criteria: No history of previous autoimmune disease
Owners must live within 150 miles of one of the No current treatment with oral or injectable Based on laboratory results, the investigators
participating trial sites: immunosuppressive medications such as prednisone, designed a clinical trial to study the effects of
losartan in dogs with metastatic bone cancer
• Colorado State University · Fort Collins, Colo. that had progressed to their lungs. At this stage
• University of California, Davis · Davis, Calif. cyclosporine, mycophenolate, or tacrolimus of disease, few treatments have succeeded
• University of Wisconsin–Madison · Madison, Wis. in extending life beyond approximately two
Older than 6 years For more information, including qualifying breeds, please months after diagnosis. For the study, scientists Children’s Hospital Colorado patient, Solei, and Flint Animal Cancer Center patient, Alba, are both osteosarcoma
visit www.vaccs.org. administered high-dose losartan with Palladia survivors. A new study hopes to find a better treatment option for canine and pediatriac cancer patients with
(toceranib), a targeted drug that has minimal metastatic osteosarcoma.

2 Flint Animal Cancer Center Newsletter | Winter 2016